It’s once again an election year and your paid media efforts are about to get the squeeze. eMarketer forecasts that political ad spend this year will top $12 Billion.

Here are a few ideas to get the most out of your precious ad dollars.

1. Update your segmentation
   If it’s been a while since you last did a customer segmentation study, now might be a good time. By leveraging your first-party data, you’ll be more precise with your targeting and be able to run look-alike campaigns. Identify particular geographies around the country with high customer concentrations and/or look-alikes, and succinctly geotarget – especially in non-battleground states with lower political spending.
2. Sharpen your SEO pencil
   Develop a test strategy of longer-tail keywords that are more specific to your product and less costly.
3. Layer on the positivity
   We all know political ads are fraught with negativity. A good way to get noticed is with optimistic and positive creative messaging. Consider a robust A/B testing strategy to pinpoint what makes your customers smile the most.
4. Pinterest
   Since 2018, Pinterest has banned political advertising, so if you’re looking for a platform devoid of mudslinging ads, Pinterest is your happy place.